Ephemeral
by Yamitron
Summary: Pursuing a band of thieves, Akefia finds only a helpless young slave as their treasure. What else is he to do but steal it? Rated for violence, language, possible sexual hints or situations. Chaptered Story. Co-Written by Sisefs.


**(( Hello all. This is another RP turned FF submission, written by sisefs and myself. I played Akefia; she played Ryou. Enjoy. More to come. ))**

The beads of sweat running down into his eyes were more annoying than anything else. Irritated, the young thief wiped the salty liquid from his face, scowling, but not diverting his concentration. This was very fine work. He was making sure each individual footstep he took was as silent as a placid lake, delicate, fingertips brushing the wall with a feather touch. They were asleep- an amateur mistake. The only one who was keeping watch now lay broken, his blood spilt across the sand.

The King of Thieves' billowing red cloak was the only sound in the ever-heating cave he found himself in. The soft fabric was also becoming an irritation. Shedding it, he simply slung it over his arm for now as he wandered around, deeper, looking for the treasure they had to have taken from the village he watched them escape from. His horse was currently tied outside.

Both the idiots who'd kidnapped Ryou were sound asleep, and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it.

There they were, vulnerable as lambs, and yet the chains that bit into his slender wrists and ankles kept him from taking advantage of that fact at all. He could have grabbed a rock and bashed in their heads (as much as the image made him cringe); more preferably, he could have snuck past the one standing guard and run as far across the moon-soaked sands as his feet would carry him.

Then again, thought the boy, it's not like this was much worse a fate; he wouldn't last much farther than the distance between here and his village, and returning there would only put him back into the hands of his old slave master. At least there, he didn't have to sleep in some cave...

But sleep, Ryou couldn't. Forced to lie on his side and unable to move much, he found himself staring dully at a dusty wall, trying to ignore the grit of sand against his skin and unaware of any sort of intrusion at his back.

Tip-toeing around the sleeping men proved easy. Muffling his swears at the distinct lack of treasure was not. His face contorted into a grimace as he began to weigh the options before him. There was a few pieces of gold here and there, but nothing more than would buy him a mug of liqueur and a day-old loaf of bread. His hands clenched into fists. While the situation did not dileberately call for it, Akefia was all too tempted to grab his knife and slit the other men's throats in his frustration, releasing the anger he was fighting to contain.

As his hands twitched at his sides, he began looking around for whatever he could lay his hands on, when a shallowly breathing body came to his line of sight. "..." He paused, lifting a hand to brush more sweat from his eyes. Maybe this secondary raid wasn't a complete waste after all. There seemed to be a female slave chained up, and of course his imagination instantly took him to a few places with that. He could make use of her. Deciding on his plan of action, he knelt down, silent as always, and pressed his palm to the mouth of the body he knew could not see him, and hissed into the ear, "Make a sound, and your life ends right now."

But the suddenness of a cold hand pressed to his mouth caused Ryou unintentionally to gasp, heart leaping into his throat and entire body jerking in shock. He at least managed to keep the yelp in his throat stifled.

Eyes wide, the shivering boy tried to gain ahold of his senses. He didn't know what this man wanted; perhaps he was only another thief...his life was not yet in danger. He had to keep calm.

"Sit up, ready yourself. You're coming with me. So much as squeak, and I'll slit the throats of everyone in this cave." He continued hissing, slowly removing his hand. He smirked mirthlessly, as he bent himself, grabbing a necklace and a bracelet in arm's reach.

However, with ankles bound and wrists trapped behind his back (and so emaciated was he), the boy - no matter how much he squirmed and wriggled - was helpless to sit up. A bolt of fear made his blood run cold: would this new captor punish him for his incompetence? Kill him for being so weak? With a nearly inaudible huff of frustration and desperation, Ryou redoubled his efforts and managed to pull himself upright by curling up and rocking back and forth until - stomach muscles strained - he could force himself to stay up.

Shooting him a glance over his shoulder, Akefia smirked as he saw the slave try and get up, strenuously. He almost snorted. Good thing she managed to get up, he thought. It was a probability he would have fisted that white hair and yanked her upright.

Doing a quick run-through to make sure he missed nothing, Akefia knelt in front of the body, scowling again, eyes locked on. "How much strength do you have," he growled, asking the question rhetorically. "Not much, I'd think. You had better be worth this effort." The thief's eyes rolled, looking the other body up and down, (the raggedy tunic keeping the shape of him ambiguous, leading Akefia to continue to think he had stumbled upon a female slave,) wondering whether he was going to just drag the other out, or if he would have to hoist her over his shoulder and ride his horse with her all but in his lap.

Ryou knew better than to answer the question by now. He simply remained silent, eyes glued to the ground as his many years as a slave had so well taught him. The possibility that Akefia fancied him a woman had not yet occurred to him; the white-haired captive was too busy feeling dirty, hungry and cold to notice the way his thin rag of a tunic hung over his pale thighs and hips - their shape brought out by his pinched waist - and draped over his flat chest, hiding whatever shape may lie beneath. Nor did he account for his slim ankles and slender wrists...or the snow-white hair that fell across his thin shoulders and bony back.

With a grunt of absolute annoyance, the Thief decided it wasn't worth the risk of making the girl walk. The chains would rattle, she could fall, and all of this could be for nothing. So, grabbing her by the wrists and by wrapping an arm around the slender thighs, he hoisted the body up around his shoulders with ease, standing. The silvery, almost purple eyes narrowed and darted to one of the thieves, who it seemed was simply rolling over in his sleep. He was risking too much just standing here. So, carefully, methodically, he took a few careful steps, taking his captive and himself back out to the mouth of the cave.

"-!" Feeling as if he might slip off Akefia's shoulder any second, Ryou squirmed as he was carried out, desperately wishing he at least had use of his hands through all this; but as they passed the corpse of the man he had earlier tried to fend off, Ryou stilled, staring in horror and realizing for the first time just how firm the muscles currently holding him up really were.

No, there'd be no chance at fighting this one. Looks like he had a new master...

Grunting to himself, Akefia shifted the slave into his arms, none-too-gently tossing him bent-over his horse. "Struggle, and you'll fall and be trampled to death," he murmured, untying his horse and leading it to a rock nearby so he could jump onto it himself. He scowled to himself. Without a saddle, of course, the only way to do this would be to have her almost over his shoulder the entire way. What a burden she was becoming already, he huffed to himself.

Frowning, Ryou ventured to speak; he could tell this new master was already growing impatient, and he did not want to spend an indefinite amount of time slung over a horse's haunches, terrified of slipping off into the sand.

If you undo my ankle restraints, I could sit behind you... I won't run away. I have nowhere to go," he whimpered, voice strained with ever-present thirst.

"Nothing to break it with yet," he grumbled, hopping onto his horse, which stamped and moved around a bit as the second body's weight hit its bare back. "You'll have to wait until we get to my hide out." Shifting Ryou to a more upright position, Akefia pulled him so he would sit almost side-saddle in his lap, his arms making a grate of sorts for the boy as he gripped the horse's mane with one hand and the reins with the other, ensuring he wouldn't fall off- unless of course, Akefia decided to let him. "We should be there before sunrise," he said in a low, gravelly voice, making a 'kyah!' noise, getting his horse going in a trot at first.

Sunrise. Lovely.

Ryou couldn't help but grimace at this safer - yet far more uncomfortable - position. It would have been much less painful had he actually been female...

Nonetheless, Ryou hid his discomfort like a good slave, falling quiet and keeping his head turned away through the duration of the ride. He might as well take the path of least resistance until he knew what this master had in store for him.

Silent, his face set in a scowl against the wind, Akefia's horse sped up from a trot to a canter. Begrudgingly, he didn't kick the horse to gallop, because he knew it would be far more difficult to keep the slave secure if he was bounding around on the horse's back. The ride was long, cold in the desert air, and monotonous. But after a few hours, they did reach where his hide out was. Although, to an outsider, it looked like nothing more than mountains of sand at the foot of a rocky cliffside, with nothing outside it beside a few grains of red sand here and there from previous injuries. The horse slowed to a stop parallel to the cliff, and Akefia silently set the boy on the horse bent over again, just like he has placed him at the other cave.

Ryou offered no resistance. The exhaustion of a strenuous day coupled with the monotony of the ride lulled him into a sort of stupor, though he could not quite fall asleep, and the slave barely moved as Akefia shifted him.

Pulling him down, Akefia took the horse's reins in his hands to lead the animal, an arm supporting Ryou. "Oi. Can you walk or do I have to carry you inside, too." His voice was monotone, humourless, cold.

The harsh voice snapped Ryou out of his trance; with a start, he rushed to obey his master, shuffling forward as fast as the short chains would allow.

Turning around and shrugging on his coat in one smooth motion, coat swishing. He said not a word to his new slave as he walked his horse to the wall, stopping outside what looked like solid rock. "Hold." He said; it was unclear whether he was speaking to the horse or Ryou. The Thief slipped off the bridle with an abundance of care, patted the horse's neck twice in affection, and stepped back, letting it gallop off parallel to the wall. He made no motion to go after it, rather, he lifted a tan hand clad in gold jewelry, and felt along the wall until he found the crevasse he was looking for. "Follow me," he growled in that same cold tone, turning sideways and slipping through into the dark man-sized hole in the cliff.

It was only then that Ryou really looked up and took in his surroundings; the bare rock and expanse of desert that greeted his eyes pulled his expression into a grimace. This was to be his new home? He was supposed to sleep _here_?

Though, thought the boy as he wordlessly followed Akefia, perhaps he could endure it – if this one didn't...take advantage of him like his old master, the swine...

The crevasse continued several feet, enough to deter those who don't know what lays beyond, until it opened up to a lightly glowing cavern, large, lit by three still-burning torches. It held a pile of blankets in the corner, worn, as if they had been lain in repeatedly over a long expanse of time. Canteens and wine-skins hung from carved-in shelves, and a block of wood sat propped in the corner, knives stuck deep within it.

Akefia sighed tiredly, walking over to the canteens and pulling out two, one large, one small. He held out the small one to Ryou, not remembering his arms were bound behind his back. "Take this." He said simply, opening and chugging his own. The Thief didn't want his new slave to die just yet- and the shriveled thing was clearly in need of water. Good enough for the moment, until he replenished them tomorrow.

Ryou could only watch as the canteen _thudded _uselessly to the sand at his feet. Unsure if this was a cruel joke or simply forgetfulness on his master's part, he hesitantly spoke up, thirst overpowering his fear of punishment. "Um, master...my hands..."

Akefia didn't respond until he had drained his canteen. He then looked up and over to him with an absent "hm?" taking in the arms that were bound behind his back. Rolling his eyes, the Thief pulled a sneer, walking over and leaning down to pick up the smaller canteen, the liquid inside sloshing around audibly. "This is proving to be more work than I anticipated," he grumbled, popping open the lid. "I even have to water you. Like a plant." Huffing, he lifted the canteen. "I'm not breaking your wrist cuffs. Not now. You'll have to drink like this. Tilt your head up and open up, then."

Of course. How could he have expected trust enough to break his bonds yet?

Used to such insulting comments, Ryou no longer felt humiliation; he simply did as instructed, mechanically tilting his head back, dry lips trembling in anticipation for the sweet refreshment about to pour over them.

Carefully, so as not to waste any of the water so precious in the desert, Akefia tilted the canteen, letting the water trickle into Ryou's mouth. He shifted his weight to one foot, posture and facial expression clearly saying he was bored as all hell and did not like doing this.

As always, when the vein of water dripping into his mouth ran dry, it was too soon. Ryou found himself still thirsty as he lowered his head, tongue lapping over his lips - though he was quite used to that by now. So long as he had enough to survive, he was alright.

"Thank you," he murmured, aware of his duty as a slave to be endlessly grateful for even the necessities.

Akefia only grunted.

Tossing away the empty canteen, he yawned, flopping down on the pile of blankets, cloak on and all. "I'll take care of the ankle cuffs later," he grumbled, shifting around. "Nothing around for miles- not like you could go anywhere without dying first... Anyway, you sleep in here, somewhere. Do not go further back into the cavern." He glared, referring to the unlit tunnel that seemed to lead further back. "Don't touch anything, either.." He murmured as an after thought, already starting to slip into unconsciousness.

Ryou only smiled in response. These were useless instructions. To attempt escape would mean suicide; the biting metal round his wrists kept his hands far away from anything of value. No, he wouldn't be getting into trouble any time soon.

Thoroughly exhausted, the waif found the sand a few degrees comfier than he had earlier, and even as the sun came poking up over the horizon he found himself drifting quite quickly asleep - too tired to feel anything but vaguely bitter about this strange turn of events.

BREAK

It was much later the next day. Akefia had his coat on, choosing a few necklaces to throw over his neck. Scowling, he also grabbed the two canteens that were now empty, and the bridle he has previously thrown carelessly from the day before. "Oi, c'mere." He called, demanding Ryou's attention and presence. "We're going somewhere."

Worn out as he was, even Ryou could not sleep long on a bed of sand in an unfamiliar place. By then, he was wide awake, leaning against a cool cavern wall and staring dully ahead. He was beginning to assess the situation properly - and he didn't like it one bit.

Akefia's demand was obeyed without a word; the slave's eyes lowered as he heaved himself up, falling into line behind his master.

"We'll be traveling in the same manner as yesterday," he said almost robotically, leading him back through the crevasse. "This ride should only take an hour."

Akefia's internal clock was always slightly off caliber, mostly due to his need to be alert at night coupled with the darkness of his living arrangement. Thusly, what was his sense of midday was really late afternoon, the sun falling lower and twilight approaching. His horse waited dutifully outside the cliff's entrance just as he had trained him to do around this time, and Akefia spoke again as he coaxed the beast to open its mouth to accept the bridle.

"The supplies we need are down there. I've yet to decide if I'm going in search of food tonight or not. How long can you go without starving, now." It was a question, but a question uttered as if a statement, dripping in apathy, as though he could care less if the boy lived or died.

At least they wouldn't be traveling when the desert was the hottest, thought Ryou, trying to make the best of the situation - the only way he usually kept sane.

Head falling lower in dejection, Ryou softly answered the question he wasn't quite sure was rhetorical or not. "A week at best, sir."

"Pftcheh. A week. Alright, you'll be fine," the Thief grumbled irritably, just now realizing he would have to procure food for two. At least the slave didn't need _good_ food. Burnt bread was easy enough to find, and that would keep her from starving, he reasoned. He hoisted him over his shoulder, and set him bent over on the horse again, leading it over to the wall to hop up. "You hold the canteens," he called, leaping up on the horse's back. "I don't want them hitting my back the whole way." Situating the boy on his lap again just as he had the night before, Akefia draped the two canteens over his shoulders, allowing him to keep the canteens safe in the little cage of the Thief's arms.

When he said 'hold them', he really meant in the way that a hat rack holds hats.

Ryou said nothing - he obviously had no choice in the matter.

It was only halfway through their ride that he spoke up. The more he thought about it, the more he realized - he was far more of a burden to a common thief than he would be useful. Why on earth would Akefia steal him, then? What could he possibly provide that could outweigh the annoyance of having to steal for two? At best, he would be taught to steal. At worst...no. Ryou squeezed his eyes shut against the thought; he didn't want to think about it.

But as they neared their destination, another more pressing issue occurred to him. "...Sir?" he cautiously tried. "When are you going to take off these chains...? I've told you, I have nowhere to run..."

"..." Akefia blew a straying lock of hair from his eyes. "No, you don't. You don't know where you are, no where is near here, and the desert heat would kill you before you got anywhere if you tried." He spoke mostly for himself, reenforcing his decision. "That's why I had planned to cut them when we reach the river. It will be annoying to have to feed you and water you, and I dislike the travel as well. The cuffs stay on, but they won't be attached to each other." Looking straight ahead, the Thief spoke in a monotone voice.

Having already accepted his situation, the remarks did nothing to drive home the feelings of hopelessness Ryou had grown used to all his life. He was about to continue on with why, exactly, he needed them cut - but the comment grabbed his attention enough to divert his train of thought, eyes glancing up in rare protest. "But - why must they stay on-?"

"I prefer it that way. For now." He said simply, eyes narrowing slightly. He spurred the horse to go faster, getting tired of traveling again.

Ryou's face fell again; his outburst had been foolish, and to press further would be folly. But he was getting rather tired of the metal pinching his wrists - surely they must be doing something unhealthy to his circulation...

Reminded of the original issue, however, the boy squirmed in his master's lap. "I only asked-" he muttered, trying to be polite as possible, "because...well, I have to use the restroom…"

His hands had, after all, been tied for nearly a full day. He doubted his master would have considered that, given how much concern he'd already displayed for his new slave's wellbeing.

And consider it, he had not. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he made a 'tch' sound and looked down at him. "Wait until we get there, eh?"

Ryou fell silent, trying to refrain from pulling a sour face. More indefinite discomfort. Wonderful. He could tell he was looking forward to quite the life with this new master...

After another fifteen minutes, they finally arrived at the riverbank, slowing down to a stop just in front of it. Grunting, he hopped down, pulling him down after him. "If you want these cut, find a sturdy rock and bring it to me. I don't care how, given your limitations. Heh." He smirked, leading the horse to the water and removing the bridle, reins in hand, showing much more care for the animal.

Ryou offered no protest. Ignoring the fact that he was valued less than a common animal, he began off along the riverbank, frowning to himself as his sore and shackled feet shifted through the sand. The farther he walked - the more he contemplated - the more jumping into that river seemed like a good idea.

He returned only a few minutes later; by kneeling down and leaning back, he'd been able to pick up a decent-looking rock and tote it back to his master. The walk back proved quite a bit faster than the shuffle he'd set out with, now his goal was within reach.

Sighing, as if taking the rock took all the effort in the world, Akefia picked it up and examined it. "It'll do," he frowned, scrutinizing it. "Let's just hope I don't smash it to bits." He led Ryou over to a flatter surface, and sat him down facing away from him, placing his hands far enough apart to expose the chains more fully. "It's a good thing the material for these isn't good," he murmured to himself, settling himself down opposite him and aiming the rock. "Else I may not be able to get them off."

He counted down from three, and with a swish the rock cut through the air and slammed into the chains, cracking them. Repeating the action twice more, the chain connecting Ryou's two wrist cuffs was split, freeing his arms.

Fucking_ finally_.

Much as he wanted to fling his arms around himself, his shoulders felt as if they'd been dislocated from being pulled back for so long, and even inching his arms back into normal position was downright painful. Grimacing, Ryou set about stretching, trying to regain the feeling in his shoulders. Of course, he didn't forget to express his gratitude: "Thank you, master..."

"Tcheh. I'll take care of the feet when we're about to leave. Go, take care of yourself, then return to me. Come on, haven't got all night." The sun indeed was setting fully now, giving them only 45 minutes at best of daylight.

Eager, for once, to obey a command, it was no time at all before Ryou had returned to Akefia - though not before pausing along the way to take a drink from the river and wash his face. He knew an opportunity like that may not occur for quite a while again, and though the wet strands of hair around his eyes may have given his detour away, he might as well take advantage of the running water while he could.

Akefia glanced at him and snorted. "Well. I was going to make you wash that filthy face of yours, but seems as though you've already done it. Maybe I don't have to slap you after all." He hummed, eyes on the river. "Come here, scrub yourself as best you can." Lifting a hand to beckon him to follow him, Akefia started strutting down to the water, flinging his coat onto the rocks. "Hands and feet only."

The added comment caused Ryou to visibly relax; of all the things to which he was subjected as a servant, stripping naked in front of others was his least favorite. Willingly following his master down to the water, Ryou sat upon the rocky bank, eager to clean his filthy hands and worn feet - not sparing a second look at Akefia's usually attention-grabbing body.

Which in on itself, irked the Thief. Cockiness soon took care of that, however, as he turned his attention to the water once more. Plenty of time for that later.

Stripping down, Akefia walked straight into the water and sank until all of him was submerged, then stood once more and started running his hands through his knotted hair. "Once you're done, get and fill the canteens," he added, scowling as he fiddled with a particularly cumbersome tangle. "Drink if you want, I don't know when I'm bringing you back to the water source itself; that canteen will be all you get for awhile."

Nodding in understanding, Ryou continued to concentrate on the cool water, taking his time. Only reluctantly did he pull himself away from the oasis when he began to fear a scolding for taking so long. Dutifully, he filled their canteens (which took a few minutes, as he drank from and had to refill his twice).

Finally, after yanking through his hair and washing his own face, hands, and feet, Akefia walked out of the water, grabbing his clothing and putting it back on his wet body. He took the canteen from Ryou's pale fingers and drank all of it, handing it back to him. "Fill it again. Then we're leaving, headed back."

It took only a few seconds to do so. Hesitant as always, Ryou spoke up as they made their way back to the Egyptian's obedient steed. "If you break the bonds around my ankles, I could sit behind you. I wouldn't be such a burden.."

Akefia stopped, frowning. "... I did say I would do that, didn't I." His frown deepened to a scowl, grabbing the rock again. "Alright, might as well. And you're sitting in front of me. Else I might not notice if you've fallen off." He shrugged, waiting for Ryou to stand to present his ankle bindings.

"Yes, master." At least he'd be secure.

Ryou wasted no time in spreading his feet to offer the despised chains to Akefia, warily - but eagerly - eyeing the rock in his hand.

Fortunately, Akefia's eyes stayed locked on the ankle chains.

Two strikes this time is all it took for the chains to break. Smirking, The Thief turned from him, walking over to the rocks nearby his horse, speaking in a cold a tone as always. "Stretch your legs, and hurry up and get over here."

But Ryou had already begun stretching the instant Akefia shattered his restraints. He took just a few moments to grab each ankle and gently pull it to his hip - then bounded in what seemed like a single leap to where his master awaited, using the distance between them to stretch the legs that had grown tired of shuffling from place to place.

Hopping up on his horse easily, as he always did, and, rolling his eyes, extended a hand to Ryou to lift him up onto it. "Have you ever actually ridden a horse, before." He asked in the same monotone voice, helping him sit correctly.

Finally, a question he could spend some actual time answering! Ryou had wondered how long the sarcastic rhetoric was going to last.

"Yes," he replied, hands tangling into the creature's thick mane, "but not with another person."

"I wouldn't have guessed." Taking the reins in one hand, Akefia kicked the horse murmuring 'kyahh' again to get it going. "Generous master, eh."

"..." Ryou's head lowered. He tried to avoiding venturing into this territory as often as possible; already he could sense that familiar sinking feeling in his gut that had nothing to do with hunger. "No. That was...before him," he murmured.

"Ah." He sighed uncaringly. What his slave had been before him was of no consequence to him. He could care less who he was, or where he came from. (Though in his mind, he of course was still a she.) "Well. At least you're not completely incompetent at this. Less work for me."

"I would hate to inconvenience my master," Ryou recited, monotone, numb. The words had left his lips so many times they no longer carried any meaning to him.

The words barely reached his ears in the wind of the desert. Remaining silent, Akefia only spurred the horse to go faster, just wanting to get back.

Once they finally arrived back, Akefia dismounted, expecting Ryou to do the same. He made his way back to the crevasse. "Come on."

Of course, Ryou followed suit without question, tugging the hem of his tunic down over the pale thighs the movement had exposed.

When they stepped foot into the cool cavern beyond, Akefia sighed, turning to Ryou with a scowl. "Canteens. Hang them up," he ordered, lavender eyes locked onto the boy.

Not even bothering to nod, Ryou took the canteens slung around his neck and, as instructed, hung them up. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but worry; why had they come back here? Surely he wasn't going to be made to do housework around this desolate hole...

As soon as Ryou's back was turned, Akefia sidled up to him and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist from behind, leaning in to his ear. "And now, my pretty new slave..." he murmured, face splitting into a grin as his hands splayed on Ryou's small stomach, inching upward towards non-existent breasts. "Hold still...~"

"-!"

No - he would _not_ go through this! Not again..!

Immediately, gasping, doubling over, Ryou disobeyed his first command. His hands flew up to clutch at Akefia's, prying them away - though his thin arms were useless against the thick muscle of his master's. A desperate plea fell from his lips: "Master-!"

A smile oozing with sadism replaced the grin, his voice dripping with the stuff as well. "Now now, dearest slave..." he murmured, arms tightening to hold him in place. "I did _not_ say you could move~"

He couldn't say he was surprised. By the look of her, she probably went through this with every master she had, he thought. She _was_ quite the rare beauty in these parts, and he definitely could not remember ever seeing hair so white nor skin so pale. He knew from the second he saw there was nothing better in that cave, that if he could have no gold, he would have this pretty little flower. A new plant for his hide-out. And come hell or high water, he would have her.

Although of course, his plans changed quite quickly. His hand finally reached Ryou's chest, but it paused, hesitated when he felt nothing there. Smile slipping, he continued to feel around, almost as though if he just placed his hand in the right position the breasts would reveal their hiding place. But rib cage to collar bones, he felt nothing but flatness.

Dropping his arms from the boy as if he were electrocuted, Akefia immediately took two steps backward, eyebrows pulled down in a glare and eyes widening, hands now clenched at his sides.

The sudden rejection almost frightened Ryou more than his advances had. A wide-eyed gaze of confusion and fear met Akefia's glare, arms tightly wound around his scrawny body in an instinctive but feeble protective gesture, as Ryou scrambled away until his back hit the cold wall. The fear and shame clouding his thoughts - the memories they conjured - kept the slave from attempting cognitive processes more complex than wondering, vaguely, what he'd done wrong.

Glowering, Akefia opened his mouth again, growling out the words in a steely tone. "...You. Slave. What is your name." His eyes didn't budge, didn't stray from the boy curled in on himself, stare so piercing it was as if he were trying to cut him with his gaze.

The words - and glare - were so palpably sharp, they stung. Ryou's only reply came in the form of a whimper - his voice was as quiet as his body was small, curled in up on itself and trying to disappear. "Ryou..."

A masculine name. At this, Akefia's lips curled back in a sort of half-crazed snarl; to say he was angry would be putting it lightly. "You're a _man,_" he spat, muscles tensing as if he was about to run either towards him or away from him - from his stance, it was unclear which. "Tch, a _boy_ rather." His eyes burned as they stared him down, mind only thinking in simplistic thoughts. It was not a girl. It was a boy. The main reason he had stolen this particular slave was because he thought it was female! A male slave was near useless to him: more of a burden than an asset. His hands twitched at his side as his eyes finally broke from the poor boy long enough to flicker behind him to the knives thrust into the board.

No... His eyes returned to Ryou. No, there was no need to waste a perfectly good servant. His snarl lessened to more of a hateful sneer, muscles relaxing slightly. Oh, he was still angry, that much was apparent. But he at least wasn't about to kill the boy.

Injure, on the other hand…

"_Boy._" The Thief growled, straightening his spine again. "Come here."

_He...he thought I was female._

The realization slowly dawned on Ryou, deer-in-headlights eyes following his master's to the knives. Akefia thought he was a girl, and now that he wasn't, he had no use...

_He's going to kill me._

Thoughts began to flash through the boy's mind like locusts, snapped back into reality. His eyes darted around the cave for any sort of defense, of escape - he wasn't skilled with a knife, he couldn't defend himself, but the crevasse - what if he darted out and stole the horse? He was fast, he could do it - could make it somewhere by sunrise, he only had to follow the Nile...

But the split moment's hesitation it took to concoct the plan gave him away. His eyes lingered on the cavern's opening, body tilting, muscles tensing as if about to make a mad dash.

And in that hesitation, Akefia took two quick strides forward to close the distance between them and grabbed a handful of Ryou's long hair. "Thinking of escaping, _Boy_?" The sneer turned mocking rather than simply openly hostile, tilting his head as he yanked his head backwards, anchoring him in place. "You're not going anywhere. You're _mine,_ remember?" Akefia jeered, giving his head another sharp yank.

"I'm not going to kill you. So don't worry your pretty little head about that." As if the wind outside knew of the scuffle about to take place inside the cavern, it started howling, whistling about outside, ominously. "Waste not." A sadistic glint flickered in his features for just a moment. "The King of Thieves doesn't like to waste what he has stolen. So here you shall stay."

Faster than lightning, Akefia's hand lifted and slapped him hard across the face. "... But you can expect rough treatment for the time being. I am not exactly happy that I did not get my trouble's worth. Your male body is of no interest to me." His nose wrinkled, glaring at the grubby tunic. "I shall water you. Feed you. Give you shelter. Like the gracious, giving master to you that I am." Yank. "But if your eyes so much as dart to the exit with those cogs in your mind turning..." His hand raised again, though made no move to strike him. "... You shall be punished _dearly._ Do you understand~?" Akefia's lips suddenly pulled up in a grin again; the hair in his face having spiked all over the place, the burning look in those eyes, and the black, cold grin on his face made him look positively demonic.

Grudging acceptance.

A feeling Ryou had known all his life.

Though each yank wrenched a yelp of pain from his throat - though the harsh smack across his face left a smarting mark, brought tears to his eyes - though the threat of a hand raised in the air had him cringing and curled up, squirming and struggling desperately, hands clutching Akefia's wrist, reduced to a sniveling, whimpering heap...still, this was better. He may live in a cave for the rest of his days, kept barely alive, roughed up at every possible moment. Yet still, he would endure it - no matter what Akefia did to him, it would be better than the violation, the humiliation of being used - degraded - raped.

This master did not want his body. And that was all that mattered.

Still blubbering, Ryou nodded.

"Good."


End file.
